1. Field of the Invention
This invention is directed to a relator assembly useful for preparing dentures or denture elements that are anatomically related to Camper's Plane. More particularly, the invention is concerned with a mechanical assembly that can be employed to prepare dentures from prefabricated arch structures, arch elements or individual artificial teeth, which dentures are anatomically related to Camper's Plane.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Dental practitioners have used a wide variety of mechanical systems to prepare dental casts and finished dentures that are oriented to the horizontal, transverse and mid-sagital planes of the human skull. Examples of such devices are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,018,551 and U.S. Pat. No. 2,003,727.
The relator assembly of the present invention is a variant of the orthopedic relator assembly described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,465,443, issued Sept. 9, 1969, the disclosures of which are herein incorporated by reference. The device depicted in U.S. Pat. No. 3,465,443 is used to form standardized diagnostic dental casts having bases that are parallel to the dental plane of occlusion whereas the present relator assembly is adapted for the preparation of dentures or denture elements from dental casts whose bases are parallel to the dental plane of occlusion. Casts prepared as described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,465,443 are particularly suited for use with the device of the present invention.